THE online lending app which reportedly sent funeral wreaths and caskets to borrowers who were unable to pay their loans, may be sued, according to a lawyer.
Some news outfits have reported that a lending app has done this to intimidate borrowers to pay off their unpaid loans.
However, there is a law that mandates fair debt collection, Atty. Francis Mangrobang told ABS-CBN’s TeleRadyo, citing rules issued by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).
“Meron po tayong memorandum mula sa SEC noong 2019. Ito ang prohibition on fair debt collection practices,” he said.
He added that the supposed intimidation could be a violation of the Revised Penal Code.
“Ito ay nagsasanhi maaari ng threat kasi ito ay bulaklak ng patay or meron tayong nakakainsulto at merong pang-aabuso sa paniningil. Ang mga ginagawa nila ay maaari ring bumagsak sa sinasabi nating offenses na napapaloob sa ating Revised Penal Code,” Mangrobang said.
Meantime, shaming debtors on social media is covered under the Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012, the lawyer said, noting that this could be a form of cyber libel.
He urged victims to approach authorities for legal assistance. (ABS-CBN News)
